Complaints Procedure

L&Q listens to complaints from anyone who receives a service from us. Below is information on how to use the complaints procedure and how your complaint will be handled.

Who can use the complaints procedure?

Anyone who receives a service from us. This includes residents of the homes we own or manage and their neighbours, applicants for housing and all those receiving a management service.

When should I use the complaints procedure?

Before submitting a complaint we'd ask you to tell us about the problem so that we can try to resolve it.

This could mean contacting your Neighbourhood Services Officer for tenancy or housing related issues or L&Q Direct for repairs or maintenance issues.

If they've not been able to resolve the problem, you can make a formal complaint through our Customer Relations team, a team dedicated to managing our complaints process.

How will my complaint be handled?

Throughout the complaints process we will:

Seriously consider your complaint and follow-up on what you tell us

Acknowledge receipt of your complaint by the next working day

Review your complaint and respond with a proposed resolution within a further ten working days

Explain our findings to you and confirm any action to be taken

Agree a timescale with you and the best way to keep you updated

What if I need help making a complaint?

If you cannot make the complaint yourself or need support, please ask a friend, carer, or other advocate to help you. Our complaints procedure is open to those acting on your behalf, for example a friend, a residents' association, MP, Councillor or Citizens Advice Bureau.

What are the stages of making a complaint?

Step One: Complaint - We'll try to resolve the issue locally

If you've told us about an issue and it was either not resolved or we didn't meet our responsibilities or service standards we'll begin the complaints process. We'll investigate using our policy* for guidance and take the necessary action to resolve the issue.

Step Two: Complaint Review - Investigating what went wrong and what we've done to put it right

If the issue remains unresolved after Step One, L&Q's Customer Relations team will review your complaint and decide if further action is required. They'll investigate and follow up any agreed actions to help resolve the complaint.

Where necessary, if a complaint remains unresolved, you can request that a Senior Manager reviews the complaint to check that the correct decisions have been made.

Their decision will be given to you in writing.

Step Three: Panel Review - An independent review of what we've done

This is the final stage of L&Q's complaints process. If a complaint has completed Steps One and Two and remains unresolved, a Complaint Panel Review can be requested. (There may be some exceptions a panel cannot consider, such as issues of a legal nature.)

If we decide not to escalate a complaint we will confirm this in writing and let you know what the next steps are.

Taking your complaint further

The Housing Ombudsman will only accept a complaint if it has been through our above complaints procedure. If your complaint is related to your support service you can contact your local supporting people team.